Boston Marathon winner Evans Chebet insists he is not under the pump as he gets ready to make his New York City Marathon debut on November 6.
Chebet said he has run some good races in the past and believes his upcoming outing to New York will not be any different.
“I feel no pressure! I have run with strong people before and won. I want to believe New York will not be any different…although, I know it’s a hard course. I hope my body will be okay on the race day,” Chebet said.
Chebet is also upbeat about setting a new course record should the weather be favourable. The current record, which stands at 2:05:06, was set by fellow countryman Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.
Chebet added that if the weather is unfavourable, he will have to strive for a podium finish.
“My target is to set a new course record if the weather will be favourable. If not, I am still confident of winning the race,” he said.
Chebet is the fastest in the field with a personal best time of 2:03:00 which he ran to win the 2020 Valencia Marathon. He said his leading time is motivation enough for him to execute a good run.
However, he disclosed that his major threat in the race is Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata. Kitata is the 2020 London Marathon winner and the 2017 Roma and Frankfurt Marathon winner.
Kitata is the second fastest in the field with a personal best time of 2:04:49, which he ran in the 2018 London Marathon to place second.
“Having the leading time in the field is motivation enough for me to run well. However, Kitata poses a threat to my chances of winning. I have never run with him before. I have also seen he has a good time,” Chebet said.
With 39 days to go, Chebet says he is undergoing extensive training under his coach, Claudio Berardelli. He said he has been training for six months and has gained more experience and learnt more about his body.
He added that he draws his inspiration from his coach, who has been a shoulder for him to lean on during difficult times. He also said Berardelli challenged him to try road races and he is enjoying the athletics journey so far.
“My training is going on well and my body is okay. I can confidently say I know my body well at the moment…I also have experience in marathons,” he said.
